I'm so excited to tell you that: a.) I finished an oil painting for Root*Center*Son. b.) We are nearly ready to go love with the Shiloh Archives. We'll be announcing in on the 10th at Shiloh's celebration of life. Stay tuned.
President Trump visited his golf resorts in Scotland this week to promote his new golf course in Aberdeen. There are several problems with this trip, and I want to break the situation down for you.
For one thing, the Huffington Post is reporting that the trip will cost American taxpayers $10 million.
As Trump has made extreme cuts to crucial public programs in the name of cutting waste, this kind of spending is not just ironic, but deeply hypocritical.
And as we told the Associated Press, this is yet another example of Trump using the presidency to line his own pockets by intertwining the presidency and his businesses.
The Scottish First Minister, British Prime Minister and European Commission President are visiting him at his properties, continuing a pattern of foreign government officials patronizing Trump properties as a way to curry favor with Trump.
In fact, we’ve tracked 19 visits to Trump properties by foreign government officials from ten countries so far this term.
It’s no coincidence that Trump’s visit to Scotland comes just two weeks before his new golf course opens in Aberdeen—unlike Trump’s trips during his first term, this one does not seem to be centered on state business. It looks like a golf trip with political meetings tacked on.
This is a concerted effort to squeeze free publicity for his businesses out of his presidency, on the taxpayers’ dime, and it is astonishingly corrupt.
But it gets worse: the Scottish government announced this week that it will pay £180,000 to a tournament hosted at Trump’s new Aberdeen golf course.
While there are technical questions around these payments that will need to be sussed out before we make a legal judgment, that sure looks a lot like an unconstitutional foreign emolument to us, Catreona.
America’s founders were concerned about exactly this type of payment when they drafted the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which forbids the president from receiving, among other things, profits, gains or advantages from foreign governments, without the consent of Congress.
If the president is paid by a foreign country, that could compromise his ability to make foreign policy decisions in the best interests of the American people, rather than his own profits.
Unfortunately, between the Qatari jet and the memecoin dinner, just to name two of the most recent and extreme abuses, Trump has already earned the title of the most corrupt president in American history—and then proceeded to lower the ethical bar even further.
But let’s be clear about what’s happening: Trump is forcing foreign governments to play by his corrupt rules, and forcing regular taxpayers to foot the bill.
Noah Bookbinder President Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
A tsunami advisory is in effect for Washington’s outer coast, the Columbia River estuary coast and the Juan de Fuca Strait coast, along with much of the West Coast of the U.S., following an 8.7 magnitude earthquake near Russia.
The advisory was upgraded around 6:30 p.m. from a tsunami watch. An advisory means a tsunami with potential for strong currents or waves is expected or occurring, according to the National Weather Service’s National Tsunami Warning Center. -- nordy
Tsunamis are really spooky. They surround an island and the entire coast is affected. Hawaii is in the crosshairs. Fortunately, the coast of the USA is more on the periphery, which will hopefully mean smaller waves there.
Notes on the last thread.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to tell you that:
a.) I finished an oil painting for Root*Center*Son.
b.) We are nearly ready to go love with the Shiloh Archives. We'll be announcing in on the 10th at Shiloh's celebration of life. Stay tuned.
Pretty roses.
ReplyDeleteBad News
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Heavy rain causes flooding, evacuations and at least 38 deaths around Beijing region - Click
Gorilla habitats and pristine forest at risk as DRC opens half of country to oil and gas drilling bids - Click
UN report reveals alarming rise in Africa's food insecurity despite global improvements - Click
Chop Wood, Carry Water 7/29 - Click
ReplyDeleteFrom the inbox:
ReplyDeleteCatreona,
President Trump visited his golf resorts in Scotland this week to promote his new golf course in Aberdeen. There are several problems with this trip, and I want to break the situation down for you.
For one thing, the Huffington Post is reporting that the trip will cost American taxpayers $10 million.
As Trump has made extreme cuts to crucial public programs in the name of cutting waste, this kind of spending is not just ironic, but deeply hypocritical.
And as we told the Associated Press, this is yet another example of Trump using the presidency to line his own pockets by intertwining the presidency and his businesses.
The Scottish First Minister, British Prime Minister and European Commission President are visiting him at his properties, continuing a pattern of foreign government officials patronizing Trump properties as a way to curry favor with Trump.
In fact, we’ve tracked 19 visits to Trump properties by foreign government officials from ten countries so far this term.
It’s no coincidence that Trump’s visit to Scotland comes just two weeks before his new golf course opens in Aberdeen—unlike Trump’s trips during his first term, this one does not seem to be centered on state business. It looks like a golf trip with political meetings tacked on.
This is a concerted effort to squeeze free publicity for his businesses out of his presidency, on the taxpayers’ dime, and it is astonishingly corrupt.
But it gets worse: the Scottish government announced this week that it will pay £180,000 to a tournament hosted at Trump’s new Aberdeen golf course.
While there are technical questions around these payments that will need to be sussed out before we make a legal judgment, that sure looks a lot like an unconstitutional foreign emolument to us, Catreona.
America’s founders were concerned about exactly this type of payment when they drafted the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which forbids the president from receiving, among other things, profits, gains or advantages from foreign governments, without the consent of Congress.
If the president is paid by a foreign country, that could compromise his ability to make foreign policy decisions in the best interests of the American people, rather than his own profits.
Unfortunately, between the Qatari jet and the memecoin dinner, just to name two of the most recent and extreme abuses, Trump has already earned the title of the most corrupt president in American history—and then proceeded to lower the ethical bar even further.
But let’s be clear about what’s happening: Trump is forcing foreign governments to play by his corrupt rules, and forcing regular taxpayers to foot the bill.
Noah Bookbinder
President
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
A tsunami advisory is in effect for Washington’s outer coast, the Columbia River estuary coast and the Juan de Fuca Strait coast, along with much of the West Coast of the U.S., following an 8.7 magnitude earthquake near Russia.
ReplyDeleteThe advisory was upgraded around 6:30 p.m. from a tsunami watch. An advisory means a tsunami with potential for strong currents or waves is expected or occurring, according to the National Weather Service’s National Tsunami Warning Center. -- nordy
Tsunamis are really spooky. They surround an island and the entire coast is affected. Hawaii is in the crosshairs. Fortunately, the coast of the USA is more on the periphery, which will hopefully mean smaller waves there.
DeleteStay safe!! How near to the coast are you, nordy?
DeleteIsn't Nordy in the Seattle area? That's Puget Sound which, according to what's above, won't be paarticularly affected.
Delete